At the ECER 2026 conference in Tampere, members of the editorial team behind the forthcoming International Handbook of Research in Digital Literacies gathered to share perspectives on current developments and future directions in digital literacies research.
The symposium, Building a Vision for Digital Literacies Research, brought together handbook editors Julie Coiro, Michelle Schira Hagerman, Carita Kiili, and Jesse R. Sparks, associate professor Pekka Mertala serving as discussant. Although two editors, Elena Forzani and Jill Castek, were unable to attend in person, they were present in spirit.
The session explored three key themes:
- Developing a critical, relational, and action-oriented vision for digital literacies scholarship.
- Strengthening connections across topical and methodological diversity in the field.
- Co-visioning future directions for digital literacies research.
The symposium provided an opportunity to discuss ideas emerging from the forthcoming open-access handbook, which brings together 139 authors from 18 countries across 49 chapters. The expected publication date is November 18, 2026.
After the symposium, the editors spent some time to enjoy Finnish cottage and the sauna.
If you missed the presentation or want to initial views about the handbook, the slides are now available here.